Nutrition News: A healthy heart is possible

Monday

Feb 24, 2014 at 12:50 PMFeb 24, 2014 at 12:50 PM

By Charlyn FargoCreators Syndicate

Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, has a message for women: “It’s never too late to improve your heart health.” Steinbaum, a spokesperson for the American Heart Association and the Go Red for Women Movement, has spent the past three weeks telling women to take care of themselves.“Eighty to 90 percent of heart disease is preventable,” said Steinbaum. “Even if your mom has had heart disease, it’s preventable. Go get screened — get checked and tested for blood pressure and cholesterol and body mass index. Get those numbers and then if you need to, start working to lower those numbers.”She admits there’s no magic fairy dust to move numbers lower, but it’s doable with exercise and healthy lifestyle choices. She recommends the Mediterranean Diet and 150 minutes of exercise a week (30 minutes, five days a week). The Mediterranean Diet focuses on fruits, vegetables, lean protein, such as legumes and nuts, and whole grains. Whole grains include oats, bulgur, millet, rice, barley, cereals and whole wheat. “Whole grain foods lower LDL (the bad cholesterol) and stabilize blood sugar,” she says. “They’re like a super food. My grandma made a barley soup with lentils, peas, mushrooms and carrots. She was right on.”Her goal is to get her patients and others to eat a more vegetarian diet, low-fat dairy and fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids. As for exercise, she says, “Do as much as you can. Every day, get up and walk 10,000 steps. Get a pedometer to track it. You’ll be surprised how quickly you reach 10,000 steps.”Q and AQ: Wine glasses seem to be getting so much larger. Is one glass still considered one serving of wine? A: For many years, a standard all-purpose wine glass has been about eight ounces. That fits the standard five-ounce serving of wine well because wine glasses are not supposed to be poured full. To appreciate a wine’s flavor more fully, wine connoisseurs fill a glass no more than one-third to one-half full, both to give air space to hold the aroma (bouquet) of the wine and to provide enough room to swirl wine in the glass without spilling it. However, 12- to 16-ounce wine glasses have now become standard at many restaurants, hotels and even private homes, and some are even larger. If people fill these glasses beyond that one-third to one-half mark, one glass of wine can provide the alcohol content equal to two or more standard servings of alcohol. The best solution is to practice measuring water into wine glasses at home, to train your eye to recognize different portions. Then, regardless of how big your glass is, you will know when you’ve reached the recommended maximum of wine that defines moderation, which is no more than one five-ounce serving a day for women, two for men. — Information courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer ResearchRECIPEHere’s a recipe for fish tacos that fits into the Mediterranean Diet plan. It’s from Grainsforyourbrains.com. FISH TACOS• 2 (8 oz) tilapia fillets (about 1 pound)• 1 t garlic powder• 1/4 t ground ancho chile• 3 T fresh lime juice, divided• 1/3 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise• 3 T chopped cilantro, divided• 3 cups shredded lettuce or coleslaw• 4 corn tortillas, warmed• 1/2 cup Mexican-style cheese, finely shredded• 1 avocado, slicedSprinkle tilapia fillets with 1 T lime juice; rub with garlic powder and chile seasoning. In a medium skillet, spray with non-stick cooking spray and cook seasoned filets over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily with fork, drizzling fish with 1 tablespoon of the remaining lime juice for the last minute. Flake with fork into bite-size pieces. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, remaining lime juice and 1 tablespoon cilantro. Add to lettuce; gently fold all the ingredients. To serve, build tortillas with lettuce mix, prepared fish, cheese and remaining cilantro. Top with a couple avocado slices.Makes four tacos.Per taco: 350 calories, 28.6 g protein, 18.4 g carbohydrates, 19 g fat, 69.2 mg cholesterol, 4.6 g fiber, 320 mg sodium.Charlyn Fargo is a registered dietitian in Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at charfarg@aol.com or follow her on Twitter @NutritionRd.